ChowTales

  • HOME
  • BREED HISTORY
    • HISTORY OF THE CHOW OVERVIEW
    • WHY DID CHOWS CHANGE
    • 1865-1930 HISTORY TIMELINE
    • EARLY CHINA IMPORTS
    • SMOOTH CHOW HISTORY
    • SITE REFERENCES AND RESOURCES
  • STRUCTURE & GAIT
    • CHOW GAIT VIDEO – NEW
    • CHOW STANDARDS HISTORY
    • STRUCTURE AND STANDARD
  • SHOW & BREEDING
    • TOP CHOW TIME CAPSULES
    • TOP BREEDERS-KENNELS
    • NATIONAL SPECIALTY SHOWCASE 1920-1950
    • NATIONAL & WESTMINSTER
    • ANTIQUE PEDIGREES
    • EARLY STUD BOOK ENTRIES
    • DOG SHOW SCENE
    • INTERNATIONAL
  • HISTORIC ARTICLES
    • NEWS & MAGAZINE ARTICLES
    • THE CHOW-HUMAN BOND
    • SANDRA MILLER COLLECTION
    • CHRIS CLUCAS COLLECTION
  • CELEBRITIES
  • PHOTOS
    • PHOTO COLLECTIONS
    • PHOTO RESTORATION PROJECTS
  • COLLECTIBLES
    • CHOWS IN FILM
    • ART & PAINTINGS
    • CHOW LITERATURE
    • MAGAZINE COVERS
    • CHOWS IN ADS
    • CURIOSITIES
    • CHOW EPHEMERA
    • CHOW BRIC A BRAC
You are here: Home / SMOOTH CHOWS / Chow Standard evolution and rare smooth reference -1986 Article by Dr. Sam Draper

Chow Standard evolution and rare smooth reference -1986 Article by Dr. Sam Draper

ABOVE IS AN EXAMPLE OF SMOOTH CHOWS IN ENGLAND IN 1942 – THE YEAR FOLLOWING THEIR REMOVAL IN 1941 FROM THE USA STANDARD

One of the things you can always count on when being a researcher is that the most amazing revelations come from the more surprising places.  This article by the esteemed Dr. Samuel Draper (breeder, judge, author)  detailing the 3  Standards of the Chow in America (excluding 1906) is a MUST READ for all chow fanciers.  It is as relevant today as it was when it was penned in 1986, the year of the most recent Chow standard rewrite.   While this article is filled to the brim with outstanding breeding advice from the earliest days until the 1980’s, the biggest surprise for me was a piece of the smooth puzzle I had been searching for…for YEARS!  This more contemporary article was sent to me as a surprise “extra”, when I recently purchased a large lot of rare pre 1920’s magazine clippings.

Many people have asked me “why was the smooth coated chow omitted from the AKC Standard in 1941”?   Well it seems we may finally have an answer, thanks to Dr. Draper, (rest his soul), along with a small group of smooth coat enthusiasts  who were instrumental in helping return the smooths to their rightful place in the 1986 AKC Standard, SEE “THE SMOOTH CHOW COMES OUT OF THE CLOSET” by Zola Coogan  

In this article below, on the first page (right column) Sam Draper  states:

 “When the reference to the Smooth-Coated Chow was omitted in the 1941 Standard, this omission placed the Smooth Chow in a delicate position: under the new 1941 Standard, this variety could not be shown or considered a part of the Chow breed.  What happened, one wonders to all of the Smooth Chow puppies born from 1941 until 1980 when the Smooth -Coated Chow began to appear in the show ring?  The rumor in Chow circles concerning the omission of the Smooth in the 1941 Standard was owing to the opposition of Mrs. L.W. Bonney and Mrs. Kathleen Staples of Tally-Ho Chows and Dalmatians, and their considerable influence.  That decision, at least in hindsight, was perhaps unwise……….” 


CLICK HERE FOR PDF VERSION OF THE ARTICLE BELOW



CLICK HERE TO FIND ALL OF THE USA CHOW STANDARDS OF THE PAST/PRESENT

An “AH HA” moment for this history buff….NOW  this advertisement below, which I posted a couple of years ago, makes complete sense.  This lovely dog Ch. Far Land Thunderstorm was purchased by none other than FLORA BONNEY (the woman opposed to smooths) and according to this ad,  this chow was chosen to illustrate the 1941 Chow standard  

More archived posts you might enjoy:

Chinese Chow likeness in Eastern Han Dynasty sculp...

1919 WESTMINSTER BEST OF BREED - RARE PHOTO - CH. ...

1907 Postcard featuring unique chow depiction

Very rare find -Edwardian Woman in horseless carri...


I do my best to be as accurate as possible in my research, however many times written history finds a way to "morph" over time. I love your comments and appreciate all feedback, additions and corrections my readers have to offer to help make this a well rounded and accurate archive.

All research, images and content in this website are Copyright © 2011-2022 Sandra Miller at ChowTales.com except where noted. Use of materials from this site for educational purposes may be obtained by contacting Sandra Miller by email studio at sandramiller.com


Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

NEWSLETTER SIGNUP

Click here to sign-up

Archive FAQ

Click here for FAQ

CONTACT THE CURATOR

[email protected]
Privacy policy

Recent Comments

  • 16 Fierce Dog Breeds That Served as Warriors in Ancient Times - Exploring Animals on A PALACE CONCERT Tang Dynasty (618-907) Oldest known painting depicting a chow like dog
  • nya~ on Merle Oberon- actress and her chow
  • alphabitch on RESTORATION – 1944 Dunns Eat Shop – Old chow looking in – Little Rock Arkansas
  • Leslie Hull on CELEBRITY -1935 Cleanthe Carr Illustrator – Chow wedding
ChowTales on Facebook
guest book

SEARCH BY KEYWORDS

SEARCH BY CATEGORY

SEARCH BY MONTH

© 2025 Sandra Miller